Lady Rose's Daughter eBook

what the difficulties of her case are. Poor Julie!
If she had been Lady Henry, what a career she would
have made for herself! He was very curious as
to her birth and antecedents, of which he knew little
or nothing; with him she had always avoided the subject.
She was the child, he understood, of English parents
who had lived abroad; Lady Henry had come across her
by chance. But there must be something in her
past to account for this distinction, this ease with
which she held her own in what passes as the best
of English society.

Julie soon found herself unwilling to meet the gaze
fixed upon her. She flushed a little and began
to talk of other things.

“Everybody, surely, is unusually late.
It will be annoying, indeed, if the Duchess doesn’t
come.”

“The Duchess is a delicious creature, but not
for me,” said Warkworth, with a laugh.
“She dislikes me. Ah, now then for the fray!”

For the outer bell rang loudly, and there were steps
in the hall.

“Oh, Julie”—­in swept a white
whirlwind with the smallest white satin shoes twinkling
in front of it—­“how clever of you—­you
naughty angel! Aunt Flora in bed—­and
you down here! And I who came prepared for such
a dose of humble-pie! What a relief! Oh,
how do you do?”

The last words were spoken in quite another tone,
as the Duchess, for the first time perceiving the
young officer on the more shaded side of the fireplace,
extended to him a very high wrist and a very stiff
hand. Then she turned again to Julie.

“My dear, there’s a small mob in the hall.
Mr. Montresor—­and General Somebody—­and
Jacob—­and Dr. Meredith with a Frenchman.
Oh, and old Lord Lackington, and Heaven knows who!
Hutton told me I might come in, so I promised to come
first and reconnoitre. But what’s Hutton
to do? You really must take a line. The
carriages are driving up at a fine rate.”

“I’ll go and speak to Hutton,” said
Julie.

And she hurried into the hall.

IX

When Miss Le Breton reached the hall, a footman was
at the outer door reciting Lady Henry’s excuses
as each fresh carriage drove up; while in the inner
vestibule, which was well screened from the view of
the street, was a group of men, still in their hats
and over-coats, talking and laughing in subdued voices.

Julie Le Breton came forward. The hats were removed,
and the tall, stooping form of Montresor advanced.

“Lady Henry is so sorry,” said
Julie, in a soft, lowered voice. “But I
am sure she would like me to give you her message and
to tell you how she is. She would not like her
old friends to be alarmed. Would you come in
for a moment? There is a fire in the library.
Mr. Delafield, don’t you think that would be
best?... Will you tell Hutton not to let in anybody
else?”

She looked at him uncertainly, as though appealing
to him, as a relation of Lady Henry’s, to take
the lead.